Borrowed Time: Divergance
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: After the birth of her children, Palpatine snuffs out Padme's life. But she awakens, days later in a crypt. Padme lives. Major character death.
1. Remember

**Author's Note: Same chapter as Borrowed Time, but the second chapter is different. This is just to refresh your memories if you're here from that story! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Language, unbeta'd, death, OOCness.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Word Count: 5,553**

It was strange. Just so strange. It's hard to explain. Even harder to understand. She loved him. She really did. It was something that just came naturally to her. Loving him, that is.

 _"You betrayed me!"_

In her heart, and her mind, she knew this whole-heartedly. She knew this solely. She knew this truly.

 _"N-No!"_

But it was like that moment, when they were finally reunited after all of the scary news that had been circling around Coruscant and the Senate alike, she thought that everything would start to work out somehow. She didn't think that it would be easy, but she thought that with everything going on, it would all finally start to sort itself out when she returned to Anakin's side.

She may be the older of the two of them - Anakin and herself - but there was always something about him that made him seem so wise and mature that she couldn't help falling for him. She loved him. She knew that she did. With all of the fear and uncertainty around her, she naively thought that by finally being with him again, it would all somehow be okay.

There was just something about him. Somehow he was able to make her feel better. He was always able to make her feel better.

She can easily recall a time, almost thirteen years prior, to when she, her entourage, fellow Nabooian and Jedi guards basically crash landed on Tatooine and went to a junk shop to try and find the pieces they needed to get their ship working again. She remembered the cute little boy calling her an angel. She remembered the sand storm they were almost trapped in had that same little boy not come to their rescue. He brought them - them, strangers! - to his home with his mother to help them out and get them out of the storm.

That night, Qui-Gon slept on the couch, Jarjar slept on the floor in the living room with R2-D2 in the corner while Padme and nine-year-old Anakin squeezed into his little bed together. It was their first night together. No in the manner of sex, seeing as he was nine and she was fourteen, but she had never shared her space so intimately with another person. It was cold and his shutters did little to keep the chill out. Anakin's little body curled up in her arms, because there was no room otherwise, she felt relatively warm.

Anakin acted like a little furnace.

Padme wasn't a fan of someone in her space, but Anakin was so cute and innocent, she didn't mind it too much. She felt bad for him and his life - and felt so pretentious for thinking that, which made her feel even worse - and only wanted the best for him. He was a good little boy that was going out of his way to help strangers when he didn't have to. He grew up in a harsh environment that didn't promote much enthusiasm in helping others, yet he didn't even bat an eyelash at any of it. Any time they needed help, he would jump in.

Padme didn't get much sleep that night, worried about all of the people of Naboo. It didn't feel right that she would be somewhere, relatively warm, well fed with a good home-cooked meal - Shmi was a wonderful cook - while her people were starving and wondering if they were going to live to see tomorrow. It just didn't settle well with her and left her feeling sick to her stomach.

At some point that first night she pulled herself from Anakin, trying hard not to wake him so that she could move closer to the window, letting the cold air sooth her a bit. Her body was flushed and her throat was constricting. There is this horrible pit in her stomach that she's had since she laid down for sleep earlier that night. It just isn't right. She should have been there, on Naboo, with her people.

She knew that her suffering with them wasn't going to help them - anyone - but it felt wrong otherwise. She was having a hard time adjusting to not being on Naboo with her people while they are suffering. She just kept thinking about them, wanting to go back there and help them. It just didn't feel right. She knew that she had to stand before the Senate and reveal the Trade Federation's occupancy of Naboo. They needed to see that.

Anakin woke up at some point during the night, Padme was so lost in her thoughts. Maybe it was because she was also his source of warmth in the cold night, or perhaps he just woke for another reason, but either way he woke up and went to her. He asked her why she wasn't sleeping and if she had a bad dream. It was so sweet of him to worry about her, but it also made her feel bad. His life was so much harder than hers overall, but she still felt back that he was trying to comfort her. Yes, her people were in danger and frightened by the occupation, but this little boy with no grasp of such things was still worried about her.

It just felt like too much.

She told him that she was fine. That she would be fine once they reached Coruscant and the Queen was able to speak to the Senate. Once they heard from her, they would understand. She had to believe so, at least.

The people of Naboo wouldn't last much longer if the Senate decided not to help them. Thankfully, luck was on their side and she was able to convince them. With a little luck from a cute little Tatooinian boy who came to wish her the best of luck even if he didn't know he was directly speaking to her when he wished them the best of luck that he was talking to her.

She enjoyed that little moment, as fleeting as it was, when he wished her luck with the Senate. She wanted to pat his head or give him a hug and thank him for working so hard to help get her there. He did so much for her and she didn't want him to think that it went unnoticed. His sole focus wasn't Queen Amidala, but Padme, and that meant so much to her. Since she was a little girl she had been working tirelessly to be Queen of Naboo that she had somehow already lost her name by the time she had finally made it. For someone to see her as Padme and not Queen Amidala, it was refreshing and something that made her very happy.

But at the same time, she knew that she couldn't be Padme at that moment. She couldn't be the Padme that wanted to go home and make sure that her home and her people were okay. She had to be Queen Amidala, tough and angry, trying to help her people. It wasn't enough to hope that they are okay, she had to go the extra mile and make sure of it.

So the façade had to stay in place for the duration of their time on Coruscant. But as they were leaving, she was in the handmaiden garbs and able to be Padme once more.

She was scared when they returned to Naboo. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to convince Boss Nass to help them get back Naboo. She was scared that they wouldn't be able to stop the Trade Federation and that the people of Naboo would, not only continue to suffer, but would also die by the hands of those brutes. It just wasn't right. That was the last thing that she would want to happen.

When they won and Qui-Gon was killed, she knew that they would be separated for a long time. She thought that he was so adorable and pure but knew that he had a life outside of Naboo. He was to be a Jedi and while she would never claim to be an expert on Jedi, she knew that the life that they've chosen is one of sacrifice and solitude.

Kind of like her - giving of one's self for the good of her people as the Queen - but on such a wider scale and much more strict.

She stood on the landing pad with her guards and handmaidens a few feet behind her, watching as Anakin and Obi-Wan were walking toward the borrowed Nabooian vessel for their trip back to Coruscant. Obi-Wan kept looking down at Anakin as the little boy would look over his shoulder at Padme, then up at Obi-Wan as if feeling his eyes, before looking back at her.

Right before the ship, they stopped and Obi-Wan said something to him. She doesn't know what, though, she couldn't hear them over the harsh wind pulling at her long, elegant dress. She can guess what he said, though, because Anakin turned around and ran to her, throwing his arms around her waist. She was surprised for a moment, forgetting that she was Padme at that moment with that little boy before lacing her fingers through his hair and hugging him close for just a moment before letting him go and kneeling down.

"Goodbye Padme," Anakin had said softly, tears wetting his pretty gray eyes.

"Not goodbye," Padme had said softly back, caressing his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "Until we see each other again. Okay, Anakin?"

Anakin smiled, a truly beautiful and wonderful smile that lit up his entire face. She didn't know that that would be one of the last times she saw such a big and beautiful smile on his face. At nine years old his number of big, true smiles were limited.

 _"Ana-"_ Her throat closes up. She can't breath. She's going to die.

Seeing him again after ten years was unlike anything that she imagined. The chemistry between them in just a moment - the single moment in which their eyes locked together - was enough to ignite the space between them. At first she was shocked to see him. She hadn't expected to see him as he was. Yes, many years had past and logically she knew that he would have to grow up, he wouldn't be that little boy anymore, but he wasn't as she expected he'd be. He was so tall and handsome. She wasn't expecting to see him as he was.

In a sense, he was beautiful.

When those bugs were in her room, she didn't want Anakin or Obi-Wan there because she didn't want to face the chemistry between herself and Anakin after all these years and she didn't want Obi-Wan standing over her while she slept. She just wanted to be alone. She's thankful that Anakin and Obi-Wan were able to come in when they did and stop those poisonous bugs from getting her, but the moment Anakin flew into her room, scaring her awake, landing over top of her with his blue lightsaber spinning around his body, she was paralyzed.

Was she afraid? Sure, her life was in danger and suddenly her guards were in her room as she slept. But as he stood on his knees over top of her, one leg on either side of hers with his arms spread wide and his eyes locked on her, she felt the connection stronger than she had just hours before. Obi-Wan shattered that moment where their eyes were locked with his body flying through her window and onto the droid that administered the bugs Anakin had killed.

Then he was gone.

They went to Naboo not long afterward, Anakin and Padme. It was a mixture of steamy because of the chemistry and awkward because Padme knew, logically, that it wasn't right for Padme and Anakin to be together. She was five years older than him, as the least of it, but she was a Senator now - ex-Queen - of Naboo and he was a Jedi. They did not belong together. They shouldn't be doing this - whatever _this_ is - and they shouldn't be feeling the way they were. She told him no. She told him they can't be together, yet they shared two kisses during their time there.

 _"Anakin!"_

They went to Tatooine after Anakin told her about his nightmares. His mother's death, she just couldn't imagine it. Ever since she was young and became Queen of Naboo, she lost genuine contact with her own parents. She didn't have any sort of time for them anymore. As horrible as it sounded and made her feel, it stopped being about her and her parents and became about the people of Naboo as a whole. Her parents understood and said goodbye happily to her, knowing that she would be a great Queen and be away from them to protect everyone, but when her two terms were up and she was offered to continue being Queen for a third term, which is against the rules but the people were willing to look the other way because they viewed her as the best Queen Naboo has seen in a long time, she turned them down.

She believed that her time as Queen came and went and now it was time for her to pass the torch as they have had Queens do for as long as time has permitted. But she also believed that her calling came elsewhere. As much as she loved the people of Naboo, she believed that she would still be able to help them, no longer as their Queen but as their Senator.

Being a Senator takes her away from Naboo completely, so her time with her parents - now that she is no longer Queen - has vanished completely. She didn't mind as much as she would like to. She had gotten letters from her parents, but was never very close to them. The short time she spent with Anakin and Shmi Skywalker, she knew that their bond ran deep. So much deeper than her own connection with either of her parents - both together and separate.

She could only imagine how he felt, so she didn't give him a choice in the matter and basically said that he could do his job by coming with her to Tatooine or be left behind. He went with, and maybe it wasn't a good idea. Shmi died, Anakin saw it. He was there for it. Padme doesn't know which is worse. That he was there and actually saw the life leave her eyes, or if he hadn't been there.

If she hadn't made him come with her, then maybe Anakin wouldn't have killed all of those Tuscan Raiders. She wasn't sure she believed that they deserved to live to continue to hurt and kill other people, but she wasn't sure that they should have just died. That Anakin should have been the one to kill them. He told her the truth, that he killed women and children along with the men. He wanted to scare her, she thinks. He was so upset over the death of his mother and his own rage that he wanted her to hate him too.

But she couldn't hate him. He was in so much pain and... she loved him. She loved him and didn't want to let him wallow in his pain. Not alone. She was going to be there for him if no one else would. He felt so alone in that very moment, she wasn't going to let him be in that place by himself. She would never forget what he did for her and her people. He saved them in many ways. She wouldn't betray him, ever.

 _"Let her go!"_

Everything just kept going. The call from Obi-Wan about the clones. Geonosis. Their kiss and confessed love. She gave in. The arena. Count Dooku's involvement with the Visroy. The Jedi coming to the rescue. The battle. They were getting surrounded. They were going to die. Everything is happening so fast. She wasn't scared. Not to die. Yoda. He was there with troops. Clones. Padme and the remaining Jedi managed to escape and chased after Dooku.

Anakin lost his arm in the ensuing battle against Dooku. He's lucky it wasn't his life. Padme was so scared. Anakin was placed under, the trauma from losing his arm was causing him to slip into shock. When he woke up he was so ashamed. Padme was there by his side, having refused to leave for anything. Not a single moment was he alone by choice. Obi-Wan was there too. They had a lot of time to talk.

They spoke quietly to one another while Anakin was in surgery to get his mechanical arm implanted at the end of his right handed stump. It was nothing important. Obi-Wan didn't ask her about her time with Anakin on Naboo, or when they were suddenly on Tatooine. In fact, they spoke about the weather and recent news: the war, like it was any other day. Perhaps Obi-Wan would have wanted to talk about more important things if he wasn't also heavily medicated because of the saber burns on his leg and arm.

Their talking stopped once they were allowed into Anakin's hospital room. They were so preoccupied staring at Anakin's sleeping face as the lifted the drugs they had him on and he was started waking up. After he woke up and remembered that he agreed to a mechanical arm, he was ashamed and immediately did everything he could to hide it. He was actually ashamed of losing his arm. To Dooku of all people, like Dooku was a newly minted Padawan and not a one time Master. He just kept it under the covers and refused to move the arm at all, in the slightest less it draw any attention to it.

He had to go through extensive rehabilitation for that arm, like Obi-Wan had to for his leg, having cauterized some of the muscles there. His surgery wasn't until a day or two later, but his rehabilitation was a lot quicker and ended before Anakin's did.

They went to Naboo together, Anakin and Padme. She asked him to marry her. She wasn't going to waste another moment. She was so scared before that she had lost him without ever really having him. She wasn't scared to die, but she was scared to lose him. He was so depressed and upset by the turn of events that when she asked him to marry her as they made their way back to Naboo, he was so happy, smiling so brightly that she knew that she made the right choice. She knew that she already loved him. Sure, they would have to live in secret, but if he was willing to live in the lie with her, she will with glee.

She loved him. She did. When they stood there at the alter, alone, staring into each other's eyes, she knew that she would love him forever. He was the only one for her. She was so happy, and scared, for what the future could possibly hold for them, but knew that she would be able to face it, regardless of whatever it happened to be so long as he remained by her side. Together, they would be fine. That much she knew.

She was so happy she couldn't breath.

Couldn't breath...

Couldn't...

Can't...

Can't breath.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan yells so loud over the searing heat and boiling magma around them. Padme felt the intense pressure on her throat loosen until it's gone, as she is pulled away from her thoughts. Or, perhaps, was her life flashing before her eyes? That wasn't all of her life. There was all of the moments that followed her marriage to Anakin. Their first night together. The war. The accidents in one person's judgment or another that drove them together in the thicket of battle. Him calling out to her, or her to him. The sneaking glances and careful moments when they would slip away from those around them and meet up somewhere dark and empty so that they could wrap their arms around each other. The whispers.

"Ani."

"Padme."

Every moment they were both about to die and they would lock eyes with one another, unable to say aloud what was so strong in their hearts. Padme loved Anakan. She loved him so much it burned hotter than the magma boiling on the surface of Mustafar inside of her. All she wanted was to go back in time, not too long, though. Just to the moment she told him that he was going to be a father. The look on his face; wonder, worry, happiness. When he ran into her, pulling her so tightly into his arms and spinning her around, laughing so happily in her ear, unable to contain his jubilance.

The softness of his hair in her left hand as it woven it's way into the soft, curly locks. Something that she enjoyed doing. His hair was always so soft and curly and she loved it. He grew up such a simple life that he never cared to measure his appearance or tend to it one way or the other, but she always thought he was the most handsome man around.

She thought for certain those three years prior that she had loved him when she asked him to marry her. These last few years, every moment that they had together was in varying degrees of wonderful. They spent every moment that they could together, no matter what. Whenever he came back from the war, she would push her meetings back or align them with his meetings with the council so that they could spend as much time as humanly possible with one another.

They were so happy. They were together. The war was over. They were finally able to be together. They were going to have a family. A child of their very own. Now was their time to really be together. To finally get passed the honeymoon phase of their relationship since they were away from one another so often it felt like their lives could finally, truly start.

They loved one another. That was all that they needed.

The last thing she saw was Anakin's angry sulfur yellow eyes - so ugly and marring in the place of his one time beautiful bluish gray ones - stared back at her and it felt like in the moment, she had truly lost him.

As her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She collapsed onto the hard ground and blacked out.

* * *

Padme woke up, still on Mustafar to the sound of Obi-Wan quickly running toward her. He drops down next to her, yelling something to C3P0 that sounded like, "Start the ship!" before he pulled her into his arms in a smooth, quick movement before he carried her onto the ship. She opens her eyes slowly, her breathing is rough and ragged and her throat is hurting.

Padme blinks a few times, trying to clear her bleary vision as she looks over Obi-Wan's shoulder to see a smoldering ball of fire off in the distance and two figures moving toward them. The larger, taller one is moving much quicker, a red lightsaber swinging at his side as he tries to close the gap. The other is much smaller, hunched over and draped in a dark cloak, and moving much slower. Each movement is dainty and purposeful, as if they wanted to stay back and watch as the scene played out in front of them.

"Padme!" The man charging toward them yelled, so loud it was like an animal's roar. She didn't know who it was, but they were somehow familiar to her. She just can't think of how. She doesn't remember ever knowing any sort of wild animal. She didn't know wild animals could speak, let alone know her name. Why is it so hard to think? Why is she so weak? Who is that? What does he want?

She takes a deep, ragged breath in realization. Wait... was that..? "Ani..?" she rasps, lifting her right arm, reaching out over Obi-Wan's shoulder toward the charging figure. Her movements are so slow and sluggish and she feels all of her energy fading, even though she isn't doing anything great. The figure moves faster, letting out a loud, angry bellow that sounded like her name but the darkness consumes her once more as the pad of the ship retracts, hiding the figure from sight completely.

The next few hours, when she awakened, she was in complete pain. Her stomach and crotch were in searing pain. The baby was coming. It's too soon! Too soon! They can't come now! She lost Anakin, she remembered with great agony, and now she was going to lose her child too. Everything was spiraling downward and she won't be able to do anything to stop it. She was going to lose everything.

Obi-Wan carries her inside, she remembers. She didn't know where she was, but there was a doctor there and a medic droid. She was giving birth to a child that wasn't ready to be born, and she was completely alone. Somewhere in the middle of pushing the baby out, she felt someone's hands wrap around her own. She looks over, tears streaming down her cheeks. It's Obi-Wan.

Him being there is bittersweet. She's happy that her friend is there with her so at least she's not alone, but she wished that it was Anakin instead. She wished that her husband, the father of her child was there with her. She would give just about anything.

Her children were born; Luke and Leia. They were so beautiful. They were perfect. If Anakin was at her side at that moment, then she wouldn't have turned her head away. She wouldn't have been unable to look at their beautiful, pure little faces and seen their handsome father in them. She would have been happy rather than forlorn. She would be proud instead of in pain.

She hated herself more than anyone else in that moment. She's not sure if Obi-Wan felt the same, but he looked surprised by the action. She shouldn't have turned away from her children, they did nothing to her. They were all she had left of Anakin. She should love them wholly and completely. And she does, in her heart, but at that precise moment, it's just too much. She will wrap them in her arms and love them without question, but in a moment. She needs a little bit of time.

Obi-Wan steps out of the room. She can see her friend, Bail Organa, and Jedi Grandmaster Yoda outside the observation window. She couldn't face them either. She had to turn completely away. She could hear the babies whining in the corner of the room as the doctor and medic droid tend to them carefully. She feels so weak and drained. She wishes she could just fall asleep now and wake up three years ago. Do something different somehow. Find out what and when everything went wrong and change it. Salvage their relationship, save the Jedi and stop Palpatine's rise to power. It was her fault to begin with that he was even there. She was the one who let the Dark Lord in.

She killed them all. Every Jedi, clone and civilian that has died because of Palpatine's rise to power was all on her head. She elected him Chancellor, like he wanted, and in some way these last few years she thought that they were allies, their ideals aligned and gave his every decision her full support. In some ways, it must be her fault that Anakin fell to the dark side and committed such horrible crimes against the Jedi.

It left her feeling broken and weak. All this hopelessness surrounding her made her feel like maybe... maybe she didn't deserve to be alive any longer. She shouldn't be there. It wasn't right that she be there and Anakin wasn't. She shouldn't be alive now when so many weren't. If she was to blame for everything, indirectly of course, then she should have to pay for it.

A little whimper from one of the babies pulls her from that darkness almost immediately. She looks over at the corner of the room, unable to really see Luke or Leia with the droid and doctor in the way, but there was a bit of wiggling and flailed limbs in her sight every once and a while. She couldn't leave them alone, Luke and Leia. They were just babies. They did nothing wrong. They didn't deserve to lose their father, only to be abandon by their mother. That wasn't right. She wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to be the one to contribute to any more suffering. She was going to have to somehow make all of this right. She just... didn't know how.

But it started with living, she realized. She had to live.

"Padme..."

Padme's dark brown eyes rise a bit to the figure standing next to her. She hadn't noticed him there a moment ago, but now that she sees him, she can't believe she missed him. The moment her eyes spot the dark cloak, her stomach plummets and her heart rate rises. The crinkled, cruel face of what was once Palpatine stands over her, grinning down at her as if greatly pleased by something. She wanted to open her mouth, scream, maybe. Or perhaps push herself away. Anything to put distance between herself and the man who ripped her family, and her life, apart. But she couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could do was stare.

Obi-Wan, Bail and Yoda stare in at her. Obi-Wan's eyes are wide in worry and pain, Bail looks mortified and concerned while Yoda's forest green eyes narrow a bit, contemplatively, his head tilting as if trying to see something.

It's then that Padme realized that she appeared to be alone in this room. That Palpatine was only visible to her. The doctor steps through Palpatine and doesn't react, he keeps talking to her, but she can't hear him. Her eyes locked on Palpatine's sulfuric yellow eyes.

Palpatine looked like the grim reaper at that moment. A god of death about bring release unto those that either desire it or not. No choice in the matter. And he appears to be taking glee from it.

Palpatine reaches out toward her with a crinkly, shaking hand, so pale and lifeless in color. Every centimeter closer to her it got, her chest started tightening as her heart pounded, making it harder and harder for it to beat and for her to breath. She could see darkness surrounding her vision as Palpatine's smile grew more cruel. She wanted to cry, scream at him to stop, but she couldn't. She was weak and helpless. She was but a mere ant next to this monster. She never stood a chance.

She wanted to live in that very moment. For Anakin, who lost himself. For Obi-Wan, who lost everything. For Luke and Leia, who now only had her and nothing more. And for everyone else, because she want to help change the galaxy. She wanted to bring the peace she always dreamed of as both a Queen and a Senator. But she's so tired and heartbroken now that it seems like she doesn't have the strength to even try and fight him.

Palpatine has won.

Padme's eyelids grow heady and they fall as soon as his hand touches her chest. There is this horrible pinching pain as her heart is squeezed before nothing. Absolutely nothing but darkness. A chill about it unlike anything she has ever felt. The chill sank so deep into her bones and her soul that she was far beyond shivering. She had become so completely numb, so quickly. This was it. It was all over.

Padme wanted to curl up into a ball. She wanted to hold her children, apologize for turning away. She wanted to hold her husband and never let him go. She wanted to see her friends; her handmaidens, Mon, Bail, Obi-Wan. She wanted to apologize for everything, bit and small to everyone. She just wanted to go back to the moments where she could do something to help someone. Where she could change the course of their horrible history. She could make it better, make more people happier, stop Palpatine from destroying it all.

The darkness and the chill settles for a moment. Padme feels it. Someone is right there with her. She can't see them, but she can certainly feel them as clearly as she would have been able to see them if she wasn't surrounded by darkness.

"Hello?" Padme calls, looking around, confused. "Is someone there? What do you want?" She's desperate and sad. More than anything else, she just wants guidance. Someone to help her figure this all out. Anyone. Even a disembodied voice, if there is one.

"Want for you to live, I do."


	2. Pain

**Author's Note: I know, another story, but I had been planning this for a long time. The first chapter is the same as the story with the same title: Borrowed Time, but it is a different story. They are diverging points. This one takes place after Palpatine 'kills' her, whereas the other one is time travel. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Language, death, OOCness, un-beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Word Count: 4,983**

Padme woke up in pain. Her entire body is stiff and cold. The words of a disembodied voice still floating around in her aching head. Everything feels like a dream. That voice, that was without a doubt, Master Yoda. But how could she hear his voice. It felt like... it felt like Palpatine had killed her. He reached out and touched her chest and it was like he sucked out all of the life in her. In just a moment.

Is that the true power of the Dark Side? To be able to reach out toward someone, even when clearly not in the room with them, touch them so gently and suck the life right out of them?

And her children. Padme betrayed the two beings that Anakin helped bring into this galaxy. They were proof of Anakin's goodness and she turned away from them like they meant nothing to her. But they meant the world. No, the galaxy, to her. They were everything. Them and the father that they seemed so much like. They were everything to her and she turned away from all of them.

Luke and Leia. Her light. His light. Their light.

And Anakin. Somewhere along the way she had to of failed him. He fell to the Dark Side, that's not a pain she will be able to forget so easily. She loved him so much and honestly thought that they were happy. Yes, there was some concerns and living with a lie has it's turbulence, but for the most part, she thought that they were in a good place.

Anakin's fall to the Dark Side proved that was probably not the case. That had to of somehow been her fault. Anakin was a good, loving man who made her so happy, yet suddenly everything was going so wrong. Sure, Anakin was having a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Jedi and he was a lot more frigid when it came to Obi-Wan, but she never thought that it was this bad. That it got bad enough for something like this.

Maybe Anakin had been trying to tell her this, yet she wouldn't listen. She couldn't see past her own misconceptions and it's ultimately her fault that all of that had happened. If that's true, then Padme is the reason that everything has gone so wrong, at least as far as Anakin is involved. If Anakin was trying to tell her that things were going wrong in his life, was Padme really listening? She knew there was some issues, but maybe he never spoke to her about his true grievances because she always wrote them off somehow. Trying to smooth it over, she may have made Anakin feel like he couldn't come to her for support.

If that's the case, Padme drove Anakin away. She was the one that drove him to the Dark Lord. She's not pompous enough to believe that it's all her fault, but she can't deny that she probably had a big role in it. It's partly her fault that the galaxy has taken the turn that it has.

Padme opens her eyes to a dark room lit with candles that offer a very faint light. Still achy and cold, Padme weakly grabs at the edges of the very uncomfortable bed she's lowered into and pulls herself up. Her hands are shaky and numb and her body is trembling uncontrollably. The warmest part of her is her stomach, which has a layer of fat on it from her babies, and a pillow stuffed under her dark colored dress.

It takes a lot more strength than it should have to pull herself up into a sitting position. Once she manages, she looks around the cold, large, room, squinting in the darkness to see windows lining the room and offering a minute bit of moonlight through them. Other than the moonlight and the candles scattered about the room, she doesn't see anything that stands out to her.

As vague as her sight is in the room, she does know where she is.

Padme is in the mourning room above the Queen's Crypt on Naboo. Pqdme's heart is pounding so hard it hurts. She looks around frantically, trying to find some way of disproving this alarming fact when she catches something white flash by her peripheral on both sides. Confused, she looks around slower, but can't see anything. Then, on a whim, her numb, weak fingers tangle into her hair a bit and move it into her vision.

Flowers. Flowers weaved into her long, curly hair.

Terrified, Padme throws herself back, tipping the coffin she's sitting in, over. Padme hits the ground hard with a loud crash and spills out onto the cold concrete floor. Died, she died. They carried her body through the city and left her here so that her soul could be absorbed by the moon. Tomorrow morning, they were going to bury her in the crypt with the rest of the Queens before her passed.

She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be awake just hours before they were about to move her into her final resting place. What's going on? How is she here? _Consciously_ here? How did she wake up? She died. She died after having given birth to the children that she denied.

Padme pulls herself forward, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Something is wrong. This was a trick. Palpatine somehow didn't kill her, yet tricked people into thinking he did, but he's not done with her. He's going to come back and torture her. He's going to know about her children and kill them. Or worse! She failed them, the moment she had them, she failed her children, but if Palpatine was looking for them, she had to keep them away from him. She couldn't let him get his hands on them, like he got his hands on Anakin.

Padme bumps one of the candle holders and it tips over, spilling hot wax and fire onto the floor in front of her. Padme lets out a yelp of fear, tangled in her numb fingers on her right hand is the beaded necklace that Anakin had made for her. The smooth, well carved _japor snippet_ gleams in the light. It's almost like it's surrounded by the fire and in that moment she's back on Mustafar, staring into Anakin's sulfuric golden-red eyes. His yellow eye are burned into her eyelids. His anger. His rage. The betrayal written across his face the moment he saw Obi-Wan was on her ship.

He wasn't just mad at her for him being there. He hated her. He absolutely hated her. He wasn't willing to hear anything she had to say. He thought that she had betrayed him so he was willing to kill her in order to punish her for Obi-Wan sneaking on board her ship without her consent. She didn't know he was there. She didn't know that he was going to follow her, and she never wanted to put Anakin's life in danger. She went there to protect him, because she was worried. And he wouldn't even listen to her.

In that moment, all the love that he had for her went away. Just like that. He hated her for Obi-Wan being there and didn't care at all for what she had to say on the matter. He didn't care.

And at that very second, she was absolutely terrified of him. He wasn't the man that she loved. He was nothing like she knew him to be. He had completely changed from the man that she fell in love with. He was someone else entirely. The man she loved would listen to her and look after her. He never hurt her. He never did anything that would bring her harm. He loved her. He took care of her. He was good to her, maybe better than she deserved. And then he wasn't. The Dark Side changed him so drastically?

Or maybe he had been changing for a long time and she was too blind to see it. Too caught up in herself to be able to see him change. Maybe this was somehow her fault. Maybe it was completely her fault that they were like this. That everything turned out this way.

She felt the vibrations of the door opening and heavy footsteps running toward her. She starts to wave her hand around, trying to dislodge the _japor snippet_ from her fingers. But she can't feel anything, she's barely moving her hand and she can't even move her fingers in the slightest. Someone grabs onto her wrists and pulls them up into their arms, holding onto her tightly.

Her chin and lips are pressed into the junction of his neck and shoulder. She hasn't touched him very much but knows immediately who it is holding her. It both softens her screams and eases her pain. It's Obi-Wan. He holds onto her tightly, slowly rocking back and forth with her in his arms, until her screams have completely stopped. She just lays limply into his arms, feeling his familiarity. Obi-Wan was her friend and she was relieved that he was okay, and here with her now, but deep in her heart, she wished that he was someone else.

And she's also happy that it wasn't him. She doesn't know how to face him anymore. She wanted to see him, she loved him, but she was terrified to see him. He wasn't the man that she fell in love with.

She wraps her arms around Obi-Wan as much as she can with her weak limbs. Firstly, because she's cold, freezing actually, and Obi-Wan was so warm. Secondly, because they were friends. Obi-Wan was there for her when Anakin hurt her - even if admittedly, he was probably the reason for that immediate shift - it was inevitable that it probably would have happened and there for the birth of her children. And thirdly, she didn't want to be alone. She was relieved to have someone else there with her. Someone she knew. Someone she trusted.

"Obi-Wan..." Padme whispers, trying hard to hug him in relief.

"I'm here, Padme," Obi-Wan whispers back, his entire body shaking. "I'm here."

Padme closes her eyes, not sure why he was shaking so bad, but just relieved that he was there with her. Over Obi-Wan's shoulder, she sees a couple of Noobian guards pile in, looking ready to throw Obi-Wan out, before seeing her staring back at them. One of the guard's faces actually transform into a look of absolute wonder, while the other is alarmed and runs out. A long shadow appears next to the first guard, still standing in the doorway with the moonlight filtering in behind him, and moves toward them.

Yoda stops a few feet away from them, staring up at her with narrow green eyes, deep creases between his eyes. He looks between them for a moment, but doesn't say anything, just leans heavily on his cane. Padme's eyes lock with his, remembering hearing his voice in the darkness that surrounded her after Palpatine... killed her? Was it because of him that she was somehow alive now?

She stares down at him from over Obi-Wan's shoulder. "How..?" She wheezes. "How..?"

She could form the words. _How am I here? How am I alive?_ But her eyes say it all. Or maybe he was reading her mind, because Yoda closes his eyes and looks down for a moment, a deep sadness written across his face. "Answered in time, your questions will be. Make sure you're healthy, we must do first."

As soon as he said that, more guards and doctors come rushing in. All of them look disbelieving that she is staring back at them, but quickly get over it. Obi-Wan finally releases her and steps aside to put out the small fire still burning before moving into a corner with Yoda to be out of the way. So many people were talking at once, thankfully mostly not at her, because she can't really hear them. They put her onto a stretcher and lift her up and bring her outside. She looks up at the moon, it's full, bold face shines down brightly at her. And then the stars, which twinkle happily.

Then, exhausted, she closes her eyes.

* * *

Padme opens her eyes, feeling like a tone of bricks has settled over her entire body. She's not sure how long she's been lying in a hospital bed, but it's early evening, now, judging by the ray of orange, red, pink and yellow lights from Naboo's sun shining in through the window. She's slept most of the day away. Padme slowly, painfully, turns her head to the side to see Obi-Wan in the chair next to her, looking like hell.

He's leaning back in the chair, slouching actually, with his arms over his chest. His Jedi robes are tattered and torn, worse for wear with burns and frayed edges. They are still in working condition and honestly she can't picture him in anything else. His face is dirty and lined with sweat and soot around his neck and top of his collar. It looked like he cleaned his face off a bit but quickly. His beard and mustache are a bit unrefined and have grown out a bit in the days since she last saw him properly. His hair is messy and hasn't been cleaned in days.

And his eyes. They are lined and pressed closed tightly. He hasn't slept in days and slept well in more days before. He has large dark circles around his eyes and he appears to be completely unconscious. His eyebrows are pulled together tightly too, whatever he's dreaming about, it's not something happy.

"Obi-Wan..?" Padme says softly, blinking a few times to clear her blurred vision.

Obi-Wan doesn't move in the slightest, he's out like a light. She stares at him for a few moments, wondering if she should just shut up and let him rest. He's probably exhausted. She doesn't know how long it's been since she gave birth and lost Anakin, but Obi-Wan probably needs a lot of rest. She can't imagine this entire thing has been easy on him either.

"Rest, Obi-Wan needs."

Padme turns to look toward the door, watching as Yoda comes walking in slowly, using his cane to help him.

"Is he okay?" She asks, casting a sideways glance over at Obi-Wan, before looking back at Yoda.

Yoda turns his narrowed green eyes over to the unmoving man sitting on the chair on the other side of the room from him, still able to see him being far from the bed. He's staring at Obi-Wan, but almost looks like he's staring through the blond man. Probably something in the Force that she wouldn't be able to understand. He blinks a few times, pulling himself back and looking over at Padme.

"Some wounds, that is, may never heal," Yoda says, morosely. Remorse flickers across his face before disappearing for a strange combination of irritated apathy takes it's place.

Padme feels a stab of pain at his words deep inside herself, and the look on his face adds fuel to the fire. She's done this. It's her fault that this has all happened. He lost his mind over the fact that he was dreaming of her death through the Force. If he hadn't been as close to her, or had never seen her again, this entire thing probably never would have happened.

And while she realizes that might be true, she can't bring herself to hate having met up with him again. Falling in love with him. Being with him. She doesn't want to wish away those moments because, while fleeting, they were the happiest of her life. She loved him so deeply and wholly, she can't wish them away, even now that everything has gone wrong.

She feels like the most selfish person alive because of that.

"I'm sorry," Padme rasps, her throat is painfully dry and constricting in pain, looking down at Yoda, feeling tears build up in her eyes. "I am so sorry."

Yoda doesn't respond, pressing his thin lips together tightly.

Padme brings her hands up to her face to wipe the tears sliding down her cheeks away, turning her head toward the sleeping man instead of the old Grand Master, to hide her shame. She lost much, yes, but Yoda lost everything. It feels wrong for her to shed tears before him who lost so much more. He lost everyone he's ever trained, his temple, his way of life, and almost his very own life. The number of people left in the galaxy that he could trust could probably be counted on his three fingered hands.

Through her tears, Padme sees her necklace with the sweet, hand-carved _japor snippet_ resting on the night table. Clouds cover the sun light filtering into the room at that moment, darkening it for a split second, before a beam of sunlight punches through and wraps around the carving from over Obi-Wan's shoulder, as if trying to emphasize it more than it already is.

Padme, hurt and angry - more at herself than anyone else - turns away from it. She can't stop herself from seeing Anakin's angry sulfuric eyes in the small loving gift. He's somehow managed to taint something that he gave to her at his most innocent. Even though her memories of him happen to be mostly happy and loving, he is somehow managing to take those away wit the last image she had of him, choking the life out of her, and racing after her after Obi-Wan ran from his fight against Anakin.

She can't look at it - the little carving - it brings her too much pain.

* * *

"How are you?" Padme asks softly when Obi-Wan shifts in his chair, finally moving after hours of being completely still in his deep slumber. Obi-Wan looks around, dazed for a moment, before his eyes settle on Padme, sitting up in her bed, staring back at him. He unfolds from the place he's been sitting, cringing in pain as his muscles unfold and are stiff from be4ing in the same position for a long time. He rubs at his neck and shoulders, squinting at Padme.

"How long have I been sleeping?" He asks instead.

"About a day, the nurses tell me," Padme says softly. "I haven't been awake for very long myself, so it's only what I heard. You just missed the nurse."

Obi-Wan pushes himself to his feet, raising his arms above his head to stretch out his spine and limbs, letting them crack and pop before he lowers flat onto his feet and then back into the uncomfortable chair. "I must have been more tired than I thought," he says, rubbing at his face.

"You've been through a lot," Padme says softly. "I spoke with Master Yoda. He... told me everything."

Obi-Wan's blue eyes raise up to her. "Did he?"

Padme nods mutely. "He told me about the Jedi, about Palpatine - or Sideous as he calls himself now -" she says bitterly, a frown marring her pretty, pale face, "and about how everyone has to go into hiding now. The Jedi, Jedi sympathizers and loyalists to the Republic all have to lay low in order to avoid Palpatine's wrath. And Anakin's... new name." Padme's eyes lower to the bedspread.

"Yes," Obi-Wan says slowly. "Word is, he has been deemed Darth Vador now."

His words are simple and even, but they strike pain her chest and when she flinches, she sees a deadness in his eyes that is unbecoming of the man before her. He's tired, in an unbelievable amount of pain, and honestly defeated. Padme already knew that Obi-Wan's life hasn't been that easy. He lost his beloved Master to Darth Maul, lost Satine to the very same man, lost Anakin to Maul's Master and his entire way of life has been crushed beneath him because of his one-time Padawan, and his one-time Padawan's new master.

"Where is Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asks after a few minutes of silence, his blue eyes scanning the room and not seeing the green alien.

"Out in the garden of the palace, meditating," Padme informs him, from what the nurse told her. "He said it was peaceful and he needed to center himself."

Obi-Wan nods very slowly, seeing rationality in that, which Padme did too. She's sure that both Obi-Wan and Yoda must feel very off-kilter. They just sit in silence for a few minutes, each thinking about the days leading up to this moment, The people they've lost, the ground in which they've confidently stood on for as long as they've known has crumbled, everything has completely changed. Everything they've known is gone.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," Padme says, but Obi-Wan shakes his head.

"It's not your fault, don't feel responsible for his actions."

"Anakin had been seeing visions of me dying in childbirth," Padme says, leaning toward the older man. She needed him to stop blaming himself. She could see that he was, and it's aging him greatly.

"What?" Obi-Wan looks up at her, confused. "He told you that?"

Padme nods. "He started having these horrible nightmares every single night. He became more and more erratic as time went by. No matter what I did, he wouldn't settle. I should have known that something bad was going to happen as he was steadily getting worse and worse. I never thought... I never thought that he would..." she shakes her head, running her hands over her face. "Goodness..."

"I never thought so either," Obi-Wan says flatly. "I wish someone would have said something to me. I would have done something. I would have tried to help."

"How?" Padme asks. "You were off dealing with General Grievous. What were you going to do?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan snaps, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know, something! I certainly would have tried to help him. If he told me about the two of you - just owned up to what he did, I would have done everything I could to help him! Haven't I always been on his side when it mattered? Haven't I always been on his side when it matter? Haven't I been a friend to him, more than a Master? I've known about the two of you since the beginning. If he had just told me the truth, admitted to it, I would have been able to help him. I thought we were friends. Was I the only one who thought that?"

Padme doesn't know how to answer any of those - simply because from what she saw first hand, Anakin and Obi-Wan were very close - but there was times when Anakin would get so angry at Obi-Wan when it was just Padme there. She couldn't understand where his anger came from when everything seemed fine between them, but she supposed that people would be a little different when alone with another. She couldn't imagine Obi-Wan was anyone terrible or did anyone any intentional wrong but she didn't know him when it was just him and Anakin.

"Anakin thought that the Dark Side would make him strong enough to protect me and our child - children," she quickly corrects herself. Luke and Leia, her children with Anakin. The ones she turned away from.

"He's wrong," Obi-Wan snaps, eyebrows pulled together angrily.

"I know..." Padme says, reaching up and pushing loose strands of long curly brown hair behind her ear.

"How are the babies?" Obi-Wan asks, looking desperate to change the subject. Even though he had so much time to sleep, he still looks like he's hours and hours behind what he needs. As the evening light fades behind him, it is starting to cast shadows across his pale face, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes. "Have you seen them since..?"

Padme shakes her head, feeling another stab in her chest at turning away from the beautiful children she brought into the world. She was hurt by Anakin's betrayal and took it out on her babies. Such a cruel woman, she is. "No, the nurse just left to go get them. I can't believe that I..."

"You were stressed out," Obi-Wan says, his voice gentle now, relieved to be able to speak about something else other than directly Anakin and his betrayal. "A lot happened. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"They are my babies," Padme whispers, clutching the covers over her lap. "I turned away from them like I didn't love them." She lowers her head in shame. "Why did I do that? What kind of mother does that?"

Obi-Wan doesn't respond right away, probably because he doesn't have an answer for that, which she can understand. But he then says the most Obi-Wan thing she's ever heard. "Well, it's not too late to make it up to them."

Padme looks over at his sad eyes, seeing a flicker of life in them when talking about her children - a pure piece of Anakin that still exists. They weren't Anakin, and hopefully would never follow his dark path, but they were a piece of him from when he was Anakin. The person that they are going to look at and probably fight with will be the man who killed Anakin - Darth Vader. Padme's children were not mementos of his betrayal, but of the fact that Anakin lived. That he was good and loved and that he was capable of doing wonderful things.

"Do you think I can be a good mother?" Padme asks, looking deep into his eyes. Obi-Wan has never not been kind, but was very honest. He didn't have a lot of experience with lying, but she was worried in this moment that he would lie, for her sake.

Obi-Wan stares back at her, looking sad, but hopeful now that she isn't turning away from the two beautiful lives she and the man she loved brought into the world. "I think it'll be hard work. But I think you're up to it, and you won't be alone."

Padme's eyes widen in surprise. "You're going to stay?"

"With your permission," Obi-Wan says. "Master Yoda and I spoke about it briefly before we got here with the twins to make sure they didn't bury you alive. Naboo is very powerful in the Force, able to easily cloak myself, Master Yoda and the twins from the Sith Lord. Plus, it's somewhere that Anakin would never return to. It's not as fool-proof as somewhere sandy - like Tatooine - but at least we will be relatively safe for the moment."

For now, that would have to be enough. "Thank you, Obi-Wan."

"Knock, knock, my lady," the nurse steps in with a very familiar face behind her. Dorme, her long time friend and handmaiden in tow, each woman carrying a baby in their arms. One wrapped up in a blue blanket - the one in Dorme's arms - and one wrapped in a pink blanket - in the nurse's arms.

Padme was worried - apprehensions - about seeing her babies again. Worried that somehow she wouldn't be able to not see Anakin's betrayal in them, but the moment her eyes settled on their small faces - Dorme smiling through watering eyes - Padme knew she would love them. She knew she would never be able to let them go.

"Welcome back, my lady," Dorme whispers, passing Luke into the crook of her right arm as the nurse settles Leia into the crook of her left arm. Tears stream down Padme's face as she cuddles the babies close to her, never ever wanting to let them go. She started out a bad mother, but she wasn't going to stay that way. It's not going to be easy - figuring out how they are going to make it through this - but they will be able to make it through this so long as they all work together and raise these babies right.

Darth Vader may have killed Anakin's soul and taken his body, but Anakin still lives in the very being that makes up the two little angel's in Padme's arms. She couldn't protect Anakin, but she will protect Luke and Leia. She wasn't sure how she was alive at that moment, and she's not sure she wants to, but what she did know was that she was going to make the best of this second chance.

No one was going to hurt her children - not her, Palpatine or Darth Vader - and she was going to take this galaxy back from the Sith, no matter what.


	3. Move on

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! So I am kind of playing with the idea of maybe a different pairing. Anakin and Padme or Obi-Wan and Padme? I would love to hear what you guys think! There is two ways that this story could roll out so I'm curious to see which way y'all want to see it go! I am sorry about the wait though! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, un-beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Word Count: 5,032**

Padme doesn't know how to stop. She simply can't do it. Every waking moment she's looking toward her children. She watching them, listening to their breathing and soothing them when they cry. She doesn't know how to be a mother, and she worries more often than not, that she isn't doing a very good job. They aren't even old enough to do anything other than eat, sleep, cry and go to the bathroom and she's already questioning herself. What is wrong with her? What is she going to do when they are start spending more hours waking than sleeping?

Obi-Wan is a constant comfort and has taken to the children effortlessly. Maybe because they are Anakin's or maybe because he is simply good with children, either way, he's a blessing to have. The children adore him and quiet in his arms. Maybe there is a bit of Force work going on, but Padme isn't sure and doesn't ask. She is so happy to have him there, at her side. Obi-Wan is a constant reminder that the sinking feeling in her gut isn't the worst thing in the world.

As terrible as it is, Obi-Wan carries his horrors heavily on his shoulders and in his eyes. She knows that as terrible and horrible as she feels, it is nothing compared to the pain in Obi-Wan. In a way, he's using her children - Anakin's children - as a way to cope with the deep rooted pain in his heart. Padme isn't happy that he's in pain and would much rather wish that he wasn't, but it helps her stop from wallowing in her own pain. If Obi-Wan is going to use her and her children - _his_ children - to help him heal, Padme will use Obi-Wan and the children she and Anakin bore together to do the same.

"Hush now, Luke," Obi-Wan says, cradling Padme's son to his chest. Like magic, Luke's whining immediately stops. Padme, who was holding a sleeping Leia in her arms, is in honest amazement. She is never going to get used to Obi-Wan's ability with children. He's an absolute natural. She loves it. He helps make her feel better about her mothering. Whenever she starts to get frazzled, he's there as a gentle reminder that she can do this. As stressful as two screaming babies are, it seems like it relaxes Obi-Wan, gives him something else to focus on.

They help each other.

"Good boy," Obi-Wan says softly, smiling down at Luke, the most genuine, raw look on his face. "There's no need to cry. You're alright."

Padme smiles, placing a small, chaste kiss on Leia's little face. "Have you spoken to Master Yoda?" She asks, not looking up from Leia's face, giving her another little kiss.

Obi-Wan, who has since cleaned himself up and had his clothes repaired as good as new, is looking a little bit better than he did a few days ago when she first woke up from her... um, death? He's still tired, still has dark circles under his eyes and doesn't sleep well at night, but being around her children makes him look actually happy. Something she honestly isn't sure that he's going to carry into any other moment not shared with her children.

Which is painful to see. Obi-Wan was a kind, wonderful man who didn't deserve to be so broken all the time. She hopes that he'll be able to find more happiness out in the galaxy other than just her children. He deserves it, though she's not sure he'll find it because of the state of the galaxy as it is. With Palpatine and with Darth Vader.

As for Yoda, he spends most, if not all, of his time out in the garden, meditating. Trying to center himself, she's told.

"Order 66 didn't kill all of the Jedi," Obi-Wan says, his voice even, but she could see that he wasn't raising his head to look at her, he was still looking at Luke, like it's easier talking to him than her.

But this is news to her. "There are survivors out there?" Padme asks, dark eyes widening. She adjusts Leia in her arms.

"Yes," Obi-Wan says, finally looking up at her. "There is a lot of havoc, though. Everyone is lost and confused. No one knows where to go or who to trust. Those that are conscious enough of what is going on, know that it's important to go underground until things start making themselves more clear, but there are a lot of young Jedi out there. They are lost and scared and don't know what to do. Master Yoda is trying to... find them all."

Padme nods slowly. She's not sure _how_ exactly Yoda was doing that other than the Force, but it didn't sound like it was something simple. He's been out there day and night, in the same position, meditating. Now it makes sense. He's looking for the other Jedi. That must take immense concentration on his part. He only stops a handful of times to eat, drink and use the restroom, other than that, he is meditating nonstop.

Dorme, who has also been a very loyal friend and confidant in all of this, brought out an umbrella to put over Yoda to help shade him and a canteen of water beside him so that he doesn't have to go far and was protected from the sun. Yoda offered her a small smile and a nod before closing his eyes and continuing to concentrate. The staff of the palace try to avoid the garden or be quiet when passing through to try and be considerate of him.

"What are you guys going to do?" Padme asks, blinking slowly.

Obi-Wan walks over to the chair next to her bed and sits down, holding Luke to him carefully. "I honestly don't know. Because of how Force Sensitive this world is, we can be here without worry of them being able to sense us here, but this can't be a meeting place. Too many Force Sensitive gathered together will be too much for them to ignore. This world is strong, but it's not that strong. This planet is already housing four powerful Force Sensitive, two of which are still little babies that will only grow more powerful."

Padme's heart rate starts to pick up a bit. "Is Luke and Leia in danger?"

Obi-Wan looks up from Luke into Padme's eyes. "Padme, as long as Luke and Leia are alive, they will always be in danger of someone finding them and realizing to whom they come from. Anakin may be a mystery seeing as in all of the confusion, not many people realize or know, that he..." _Survive_ is on his lips, but it doesn't feel right. Anakin didn't survive. He was killed by Darth Vader. In a way, Anakin died before Order 66 was ever put in place.

Obi-Wan shakes his head, not wanting to think about it. "Regardless, no one must know to whom your children came from. They can't know about you or Anakin. That causes too many problems."

Padme blinks in confusion. "You mean Luke and Leia? They can't know who they came from?"

"No," Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Others. Luke and Leia will obviously have you, and you can tell them whatever you want about their father, but others must never know. It's not safe for them, especially since Sidious will be looking for them and if Vader learns about them..." Obi-Wan lets out a long winded sigh, looking down at Luke's face sadly.

"And me?" Padme asks.

Obi-Wan looks up at her. "You are not safe as well, Padme. I have no idea how Vader would react knowing you are alive but Sidious will definitely be out for your life. You are part of the reason that it took so long for Anakin to fall," Obi-Wan says. "You being alive could stir up a lot more issues than anyone is ready for. Right now, we have to focus on keeping the kids safe. They are the most important thing. If you are alive, the chances of them being alive is far greater."

"So what do I do?" Padme asks, eyebrows pulling together tightly.

Obi-Wan shakes his head slowly. "I honestly don't know. Lay low for now, I suppose, but we are going to have to think of something."

Padme is quiet for a moment, not sure how to ask this. She knows she shouldn't. It's not her business, but the curiosity is killing her. "Don't get me wrong," Padme asks softly, turning her eyes down to Leia in her arms. "I am happy that you are here with me. You've been nothing but a comfort and a help, but why are you here with me and not with Master Yoda?"

Obi-Wan doesn't respond. In her peripheral, she can see him staring at her, but he doesn't say anything. Padme wonders briefly if perhaps either she spoke too softly for him to hear her, or he was insulted by her question. She really was just curious, though. She was happy to have him there by her side, she meant it, but it felt like he would be better suited helping Yoda locate the other Jedi and help guide them to safety, yet he was there with her.

Padme opens her mouth, about to ask again, when Obi-Wan responds, his words crisp but even, "Because I cannot concentrate. I am holding Master Yoda back as I am. It is better if I don't bother him."

Padme physically flinches at his words. It's her fault that he is like that. He can't focus because of Anakin. Because of her. Because of their children. Because of the death of the Jedi. Because of the fall of the Republic.

They don't speak again until Obi-Wan finally gets up almost a half hour later, placing Luke in his basinet and excusing himself from the room. Padme didn't even try to call out to him.

She really shouldn't have asked.

* * *

"Discuss what to do next, we must," Yoda says, a few hours later, walking into the room slowly with Obi-Wan trailing beside him slowly. Padme just finished nursing Luke and Leia and was gently rocking them both back and forth slowly, lovingly.

"Master Yoda, Obi-Wan," Padme says, passing Leia over to Dorme to put in his basinet next to her bed, then Luke.

Obi-Wan closes the door behind them before following Yoda deeper into the room and stopping a few feet away from Padme. "Is now a bad time, Padme?"

Padme shakes her head, happy to see that they are talking again. She will have to be more careful with her words from now on. "No, it's fine. We really do need to talk."

Dorme moves the chair over for Yoda, who nods appreciative and climbs up into it and sits down with a low grumble. Dorme steps away and into the corner by the twins to keep an eye on them while Padme and the two Jedi - ex-Jedi? - Masters talk with a bit of peace and quiet. Thankfully the twins have gone through a lot today and are already falling back to sleep.

"Your health?" Yoda asks, looking over at Padme with large, dark green eyes.

For some reason, Padme is surprised by this question. It's natural for someone to ask, but Padme sort of is under the impression that Yoda is mad at her. She wouldn't blame him and could even imagine why he would be mad, but the fact that he was inquiring to how she was feeling was a little bit of a surprise. She reaches up and pushes long curly brown hair behind her ear.

"I'm okay. I'm healing," Padme says. She looks down at her hands, where just a few days ago she couldn't control the shaking of them, now only twitch a bit naturally. The feeling of not being able to move her hands or her limbs the way she should have been able to was a scary experience, but she was fine now and she was healing beautifully from giving birth as well.

Hesitantly, she asks, "And you, Master Yoda?"

Yoda's dark eyes flicker toward the window across from him, staring at the bright summer blue of the sky. His eyebrows pull together a bit, looking worn out and tired. He lets out a long, drawn out sigh, closing his eyes for a moment, before he looks back over at Padme.

"Live, I will," he says, his voice even as he opens his eyes once more. That wasn't much of an answer but judging by the dark, _sad_ look on his face, Padme figured that was the best she was going to get. It's quite obvious that Yoda is in pain and is focusing on what he must in order to continue pushing forward. He doesn't want flowery sentiments or a kind hand. He wants to focus on something to avoid the pain.

Just like Padme and Obi-Wan are trying to do. They are all in a lot of pain that no one really knows how to deal with. They have to find a way though. But it seems like now isn't the time to being doing the soul searching needed to begin healing, Padme thinks.

Which is good, she's not ready to be looking deep within herself for answers. She's not sure she's going to be able to take what she'll find there.

"Obi-Wan told me briefly about what you were doing," Padme says softly. "He said that you were reaching out to the other Jedi out there. Those that are scared, confused and inexperienced might be running into more danger than they can handle..?" She glances swiftly over at Obi-Wan to make sure she got that right. He nods, so she looks back at Yoda.

Yoda frowns, shaking his head slowly. "Understatement, that is. On the war path, Darth Vader is," Yoda says, opening his eyes and looking up at her meaningfully.

Padme's eyes widen. "You mean... he's..."

"Hunting the Jedi," Obi-Wan says, bowing his head. He rubs at his face roughly, looking so unbelievably exhausted. And pained. As if all of this could get worse.

"How do you know?" Padme asks, and as soon as she does, she starts shaking her head. "Sorry, no, I don't want to know."

Which seemed to be a good thing, because neither man seemed interested in talking about the specifics. She can appreciate that. Dorme looks around the room, her dark eyes wide, before she looks away, frowning to herself.

"So what are we going to do?" Padme asks. "Is there somewhere safe for the Jedi to go?"

Yoda shakes his head. "No place Sidious or Vader don't know of, or strong enough to contain them."

"So, too many Force Sensitive in one place is easy to sense?" Padme asks, trying to clarify for herself, hoping that her ignorance isn't too annoying to them.

"In a way," Obi-Wan says slowly. "There are a lot of factors to take into account. How many Force Sensitive. How sensitive the planet is. Collectively how powerful they are in retrospect to the planet. Things like that. It's not something that can be taken lightly and even careful calculations can lead to the enemy finding out our hiding places and figuring out our secrets."

Padme can understand that. Any well thought out plan and strategy can be outdone by any sort of circumstances. One thing or another, or even a combination of a couple of things.

"Firstly," Obi-Wan says, sparing a glance down at Yoda, who nods for him to continue, which he does, "we need to create a safe environment for those children to be raised in. Naboo is safe enough for the moment, but we need a game plan. What is it going to be?"

"I could take back my maiden name, drop Amidala, and return to my family home. You said Ana... I mean, Vader, wouldn't come back here," Padme says, choking on her husband's name. As time goes on it's getting harder and harder to associate them as one and the same. She wants to preserve the memory of Anakin Skywalker and not sully it with anything Darth Vader. She's just.. having trouble differentiating when exactly Anakin stopped being and Vader became.

"Perhaps," Yoda says, "difficult to judge the actions of the Sith, it is. Keep him busy hunting Jedi, his dark master will. Naboo, a painful reminder."

Perplexed, Padme asks, "A painful reminder of what?"

"Anakin Skywalker and the Light," Yoda says, letting out a long winded sigh. "Links the two together, Naboo does. Return one day, unlikely. For both."

"Sidious and Vader," Padme says softly in understanding. "Anakin is here in spirit that neither Vader nor his Master want him to come into contact with and Sidious is done with us. He got what he wanted from us."

Padme looks away. He did get what he wanted from them. From her. She was the one that got him into the Chancellor's seat. She's willing to bet anything that the previous Chancellor couldn't get anything done because of Palpatine. He was the one holding him back so that Padme would be fed up with him and his inaction and move to put Palpatine in power. Palpatine betrayed her. He made her think that she could trust him when really all that he was doing was using her to put his plan in action.

But Padme is a fool too. She so blindingly trusted him. She had absolutely no way of knowing that he was a Sith, she isn't all powerful or all knowing, but she feels like she should have had some sort of inkling that there was something wrong. Padme knew she wasn't perfect or above being betrayed, but rarely does someone going to betray her catch her completely off guard - like Anakin and Palpatine had. Anakin's fall was so subtle that maybe she wasn't paying close enough attention to notice and Palpatine is a master manipulator that proved to be better than she.

"Yes," Obi-Wan says softly. "I happen to agree with Master Yoda. The chances of either coming here are slim to nonexistent. So while I will be conscious of who comes and goes, I would expect to see either of them darkening your door step."

Padme is a bit relieved by that. She's not sure she would be able to face Darth Vader and not cry because of Anakin. She's not sure she wouldn't just lunge at Palpatine to strangle him dead if given the chance. Neither is smart at the moment. She has to live for her children. They are all she has. Her children need her to be alive and look after them. She has to be smart about how she goes about doing things.

"I could speak to the Queen," Padme says, looking over at the two men. "I could change my name back to before I was Queen. Anakin didn't know my maiden name. My parents never said it when he met them."

"And what is that?" Obi-Wan asks.

"Naberrie," Padme says. "My family has many connections here on Naboo. I'll be able to create a life here taking my maiden name back up."

"Luke and Leia Naberrie as well?" Obi-Wan asks, blond eyebrow quirked.

That gives Padme pause. She always thought that her children would _officially_ have Anakin's name. Because Naboo is a closed system separate from the Coruscanti archives, that she would be able to give them the name Amidala-Skywalker and just go by Amidala, but she wanted them to have a piece of Anakin in their name - which she ultimately got with Luke, as his name means light in Tatooine. Anakin may not care for his roots, but Padme does. His life is what helped forge him into the man that she fell deeply in love with.

She hasn't officially named them. But maybe she's been putting it off.

Then again... maybe she just needs a few more days to decide.

"A start, that is," Yoda agrees. "Padme Amidala, too much in the public eye, she is."

Padme couldn't disagree with that. She really did a lot to bring herself into the public eye. She was very outspoken as a Senator before the war, but really spread her wings and sphere of influence once it started with a bunch of relief programs that brought a lot of attention to her person. She didn't do it because she wanted the attention, simply because she believed that if she had attention on her, than she could use it to help someone else. It never really got through her thick skull that it would be bad for her to have so much attention on her.

She didn't care so long as she was the only one in danger.

But it's not just about her anymore. Now that her children are part of the equation, their safety hinges on her ability to cloak herself in every day society, then she will vanish. To protect her children, her people, she will vanish into thin air if she must. Anything to keep her children safe.

"It'll have to work for now," Obi-Wan says, looking down at Yoda. "We will have to figure out how to help the other Jedi."

"What are you going to do?" Padme asks, looking between them.

Yoda shakes his head slowly, eyebrows pulling together tightly. "We know not. Unsafe, it is, for the Jedi. A safe haven out there, there is. Have to find it, we must." He curls his three fingered hands over the top of his lap. He looks so very tired. This entire thing has aged him hundreds of years in the course of a few days. Padme feels so bad for him.

"When can you speak with the Queen?" Obi-Wan asks.

Padme shakes her head. "I'm not sure. I can send Dorme off to speak with her on my behalf and set up a meeting. I'm sure that she will want to speak with us immediately. I can begin moving forward from there. Once I get out of here, I can go to my family home, we will be safe there for now."

"Good," Yoda says, though he doesn't actually look like he believed that anything was good. His long pointed ears point downward in sadness, letting out a long winded sigh.

* * *

"Thank you for seeing me so soon, my Queen," Padme says, bowing low. It's felt like forever since she's wore her more extravagant clothes, but Dorme managed to scrape something together that makes her look nice. She's tired and anxious to return to her children. Maybe she has some serious separation issues. Not like that is the worse thing that she could have, but still...

The young Queen Apailana - nicknamed the sad queen - stands up immediately at the sight of Padme and descends from her throne to walk over to the ex-Senator. Her hands link with Padme and she pulls the taller, older woman into her arms.

"Senator Amidala," Apailana says, her voice soft and sad, "I was terrified when I heard that you had passed away. Your funeral was a mournful one here on Naboo. Everyone across the planet came to say goodbye." She pulls back and looks up at Padme with large, dark brown eyes. "When I heard that you were alive... someone had to be looking out for us."

Yeah, Yoda, Padme thought. She still hadn't asked Yoda what was going on with her being there alive. But she didn't want to ask. Yoda saved her somehow, she's not sure how, and she's not sure if she cared enough. She was there, because of Yoda. She is thankful to be. She's not going to question how she got there, just that she is, and be thankful for every single moment that she gets now.

But a part of her still wants to know. _How_ did he do this?

And at the same time, she's not sure she's ready to know the reason or the how. She's not sure what is making her stay her hand so much, but there is just something that is stopping her from just asking the question. It shouldn't wait to be asked, but she's going to anyway. In some ways, she is running away from the truth. She had to have died that day, she felt the life leave her body, yet somehow Yoda has brought her back.

It's scary to know the truth.

"Thank you," Padme says, offering a thin smile. She pulls one hand away from the Queen's iron clad grip on her fingers and makes a small sweeping gesture toward the two men flanking her. "This is Master Yoda and this is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi." Yoda tips his head in greeting, long green ears twitching a bit, while Obi-Wan fully bends at the waist to the queen.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay on Naboo until we can get everything figured out, Queen Apailana," Obi-Wan says, straightening up.

Apailana, who is over ten years younger than Padme, but almost as tall as her, smiles faintly, giving her sad appearance a more sorrowful look. "It is no problem at all, Master Kenobi. I just hope that we will be of some assistance to you. Naboo does not forget those that assist it, Master Kenobi, so however we can help, we are going to do what we can."

Obi-Wan actually looks a mixture of happy and sad by that, probably remembering the first time he came to Naboo with his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, and the time that followed, when his master died.

"I appreciate it," Obi-Wan says modestly. "Naboo and its people has always been kind to me. I am thankful."

Apailana smiles a bit fuller before looking over at Padme. "Senator Amidala-"

"Padme," Padme interjects, offering a thin smile. If she is going to drop Amidala, she's going to give it a clean cut. There isn't any real pride in either name, Amidala or Naberrie, but simply different chapters of her life, so it doesn't cause any pain to drop either of them. What's weird is to not only pick up Naberrie _again_ after so long, but to also low-key drop Skywalker.

In official Nubian archives, she has the name Padme Amidala-Skywalker. It's going to be so hard to drop his name. Drop Anakin's name. Even though Anakin is gone, it doesn't mean that she doesn't love him, because she does. He is a major part of her life, and the life of her children, even if they will never meet him. Anakin helped her bring her two beautiful - and only - children into the galaxy, they will always hold a piece of him.

Which is probably what gravitates Padme and Obi-Wan so much to them, aside from the fact that they are so stinking cute.

"Padme," Queen Apailana says, looking like she doesn't really understand Padme's shift in title but respects it, "I am anxious to know what you are going to do next."

"That's what I'm here to speak to you about," Padme says. "I was... close to Anakin Skywalker before the rise of the Empire, and with Palpatine as well, as I'm sure that you know. Palpatine..." Padme hesitates, trying to find a way to say this without giving too much away, not because she doesn't trust the child queen of her people, but because she's not sure Apailana would understand the complexity of the situation on just a single, simple sit down. So she was going to have to be careful what she says for now.

"Palpatine wanted me dead, I would be bringing that stigma to Naboo if anyone ever found out that I was here," Padme says. She lets her shoulder droop a bit, her smile having faded from her face.

Apailana is shaking her head before Padme can even finish. "We love you, Padme, you are the beloved queen that managed to pull us through one of the toughest times in our most recent history. We will always be on your side. Don't worry about any of that."

Apailana can say that, and it offers a bit of relief for Padme, but it doesn't exactly alleviate her worries. If something were to happen to her people because of her, she wouldn't know what to do. But the honest fact of the matter is, she has both no where else to go, and no one she knows she can trust. She can barely trust anyone to know that she is alive, but she is already terrified of the number of people that know that her children are alive.

If Palpatine ever found them, Padme is certain he will kill her. He's going to have to. There is no way he's laying his hand on her babies while she is still alive, that much she knows for certain.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. Gun toten Girly: Aww thank you! How sweet!_

 _2\. sherazard88: Aww thank you! Sorry for the long wait!_

 _3\. Rdk3: Yeah, I'm not a fan of character bashing either. I am so happy that you've liked it so far! I hope I continue to impress! I appreciate the feedback! Sorry for the wait!_

 _4\. Bobboky: Thank you!_


	4. Settle in

**Author's Note: I asked for y'all opinion on the pairing and all most of you said was that if I chose to write it Obi-Wan x Padme that you would leave. Wasn't what I asked and honestly hurt my feelings and really discouraging me but, whatever. That's the internet.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, un-beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Word Count: 5,845**

Apailana is very understanding. A lot more understanding than Padme thought she would be. She was young and probably either faking it well, or not quite grasping the severity of the situation, but she agreed to keep them all there on Naboo and help them fly under the radar. Padme, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Padme's children were placed in a home just outside of Theed to offer them a bit of privacy until they can better figure out what to do next. Padme is a bit happy that she wouldn't have to return home. She wasn't sure how to face her family to tell them that not only is she alive, but she has four people following her, two of which are the babies she shared with a Jedi Knight that was guarding her a few years prior to this that she married without inviting them to and never ultimately told them about.

Yeah, she wasn't looking forward to having to explain all of that to her parents and sister. She knew that she couldn't just leave them to believe that she was dead - keep letting them believe it - because they were her family and probably still mourning her. She wasn't heartless. She wasn't cruel. But she knew that they would be able to survive without her - they had for many years before - but her children would not. They needed her. She honestly believed that she would be able to reunite with her family once she knows that her children would be safe.

Now that she no longer needs to be cooped up in the hospital, seeing as all of her injuries have healed and there is nothing physically wrong with her or the babies, she is free to go so that they have the bed to offer up to someone who needs it. Padme is thankful, though, to be able to finally get a moment away from all those strangers that might be working with the Empire and quietly keeping an eye out for her.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Obi-Wan said, a deep frown on his lips, before he went throughout the hospital and found each person involved with Padme since she arrived - they were forced to keep detailed notes on who came and went because she was a VIP that Apailana acknowledges needed to be guarded 24/7 - and erased their minds of her. Padme doesn't know how, and she didn't want to know. What she did know, was that Obi-Wan was an absolute Master of the mind and made sure that Padme and her babies vanished from the hospital without a trace.

Padme was never going to go back, the Queen was going to give her a personal physician and pediatric physician for her children. Padme feels bad for wiping their memory, but will never go back if it puts her children's lives in danger.

Padme, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Padme's children and Padme's handmaidens - four remaining - and her guard that quickly reassembled after her magical rebirth all went to this home together. They were going to be a weird family, but they were going to go through it together.

Padme and her handmaidens set up a nursery for Luke and Leia. Padme is thankful for the distraction. She won't have to think about how her world has literally blown up in her face for at least a few minutes. She just needs to focus on something other than that. It's been all that she can think about since she woke up in one capacity or another, and she could use a bit of a mental break.

"Do you want to do pinks and blues for the nursery, my lady?" Sabe asks.

"No," Padme says, nodding toward the largest, bare white walls for one of the guards to put down the paint. "I want it all to be very natural. I want rainbow colors. Anything pretty."

Dorme looks over at her for a moment, rolling up her white sleeves finishing taping the last of the molding. "How about we paint a rainbow, then, my lady? Over a lake?"

"Sounds like Naboo," Padme says softly. The other handmaidens hum in agreement, moving about the room. "I also want a large field with grass and flowers." It reminds her of Anakin. The rainbow wasn't there, but Anakin was, and he was the most beautiful sprinkle of lights across her skies. Wow, how cheesy was that? Disgusting, actually. But she does love him and even if her children don't understand the significance. It's almost like Anakin would be here with her, looking over her children. Over their children.

In spirit, Anakin remains. In this room, Anakin wasn't killed by Darth Vader. He wasn't killed by the Jedi. By the Senate. By Palpatine. By Padme. Or, by anyone else who had something to do with Anakin's fall to the Dark Side and the rise of Darth Vader. Here, in this room, and if it has to only be in this room, Anakin will continue to be alive. With his children.

"That sounds like a beautiful picture," Sache murmurs softly, popping open one of the paint cans before working on the next one.

Eirtae walks over with a bunch of paint brushes, handing them off to the other handmaidens before offering one to Padme, who takes it with a smile to the pretty blond.

"Thank you, Eirtae," Padme says, reaching out and brushing her arm in a gentle manner before turning away. She loves her handmaidens. She loves them so much, not because they are there with her now. Not because she is in desperate need for faces that she recognizes and trusts, but because she knows that they didn't have to come back to her. Yet they did. That proves more about loyalty than them taking any sort of blaster bolt or drink any poisonous glass of wine in her stead. Padme loves them and appreciates them.

They set to work, painting the room. Padme pauses after an hour or two to seek out her babies. She finds them with Obi-Wan, where she left them, sleeping as he and Yoda meditated in the living room. Luke and Leia are sleeping peacefully in between the two ex-Jedi. Neither Obi-Wan or Yoda move when she enters the room. She checks on Luke and Leia as quietly before leaving the room after changing Leia and placing her back in her bed next to Luke so they can curl close to one another before slipping out of the room to continue helping the girls work on the nursery.

For now, they will sleep in Padme's room with her - she's not ready to part with them - but they will need somewhere to go at one point. So, she and her handmaidens do this now so that they will be able to have somewhere that will be their own. When... when they are ready...

They work for hours until Padme hears the children fussing once more. She lets the girls know that they can be done for the day. The room is almost entirely painted the pretty blue color she wanted for the sky except for the one specific wall that she wanted for the mural. The grassy fields have already been started by Sache but are only a green blob for now. Detail will be added with time. And time is the one thing they now have.

They slip up. The girls and Padme go to clean themselves up - Padme insisted on being alone for a moment to wash. She rests her forehead against the smooth tile and close her eyes, taking a moment to feel the warm water washing over her neck, back and shoulders. She knows that she can't be in there for too long, but she just wants to have a moment o her thoughts.

She opens her eyes and looks down her body to see the excess flab on her belly from where she was carrying her children. She was going to have to start working out again to lose the weight. Well, maybe not. She didn't really have anyone she needed to please anymore. No, no, she still had to keep up a degree of appearances in case she had to make more public appearances - although she can't in a million years imagine why she would need to - so she was just going to have to pick her morning routine back up again.

It was nice being able to sleep in a little bit - a lot - in the mornings since she learned that she was pregnant. It was kind of nice, but has doesn't feel like her mornings are complete without it.

A bit of normality will do her some good, she thinks.

Padme turns off the refresher and steps out, grabbing onto a towel and wrapping it around herself before walking over to the mirror and stops, seeing her reflection. There is a bit of... discoloration on her throat. It certainly doesn't look like she was choked, it doesn't span around her entire neck, just spots on the front and one on the left side. Damage done internally that has already started healing from her days in the hospital. In fact, if anything, the bruises are already almost gone from ointments and such supplied to her, but there is faint scars forming vertical across her throat from where she ranked her nails across the flesh trying to open up her airway when Anakin was choking her.

Padme turns away. She can't look at that anymore. She can't think of that anymore.

She quickly changes into a simple lounge dress and heads out to see Luke and Leia. Dorme, hair wet and pulled up into a tight bun on the back of her head, is already caring for them. She has her foot on Leia's bed, gently pushing it back and forth in a lulling motion while she's feeding Luke. She's humming softly under her breath and staring at them lovingly.

"I can take him," Padme says, holding her hands out for Luke.

Dorme looks up at her, about to insist that she will be able to continue, before she sees the need in Padme's eyes. She needs to hold her children. She needs to be with them. Her children. She needs them in her life. In her arms.

Dorme passes Luke to her along with the bottle. Padme turns away from them, holding Luke close to her as he drinks greedily from his bottle. She sways back and forth slowly, trying to sooth both herself and her son. Padme walks around their large, mostly empty house, offering a thin smile to whomever catches her eye. She spots Yoda standing in the large backyard amongst all of the wild flowers and tall grass, nearly vanishing in the lushness, with his head tilted up toward the blue sky and his eyes tightly closed.

Padme has to wonder how the other Jedi in the galaxy is doing. She can't ask such an insensitive question, though. She can only imagine how terrible it's going out there. The Jedi aren't safe so long as the Sith and the Empire remain on the hunt. Padme can only hope that while they are scattering to the wind, they are finding safe places to go and sticking with someone that they trust.

Foolish. Childish. Blindly optimistic.

Padme prays as hard as she can for a good outcome to all of this when deep in her heart, she knows that none of this is going to end up okay. A lot of people are going to die. A lot more are going to get hurt. This entire situation is probably more than a situation. It's probably going to be a new way of life. Padme wishes it could be different, but in her heart she fears that she won't ever see the end of this. This isn't something that can end within a few months or even years. She may never live long enough for the conclusion of these actions.

The rise of Darth Vader isn't a era that is going to be around longer than anyone is going to like.

And the thought brings Padme physical _agony._ The monster who stole Anakin from her will be able to walk about in his life. Will be able to exist where Anakin can not. It's not fair. It's not right.

Padme places a soft, but loving kiss onto Luke's forehead, pulling the bottle away as he seems uninterested in eating anymore. She sets the bottle down and places him against her shoulder after putting a towel there and starts patting him on the back. She spots Obi-Wan out another window, walking about the perimeter of the land, keeping his eyes out for anyone who doesn't belong, stopping only to speak to a guard before moving on. Padme turns away, continues to pat at Luke's back, looking at Leia, who Dorme is cooing over. Her eyes squeezed shut tightly in slumber.

Luke burps a bit, spitting up some of his formula. She rests him in the crook of her arm and walks back over to his bed, turning to look at Luke, seeing his own eyes squeezed closed, before lowering him into his bed to sleep. She sits down in the seat that Dorme no longer occupied and watches them. She pulls forth a piece of hair still soaking wet even though she was walking about for a while. The back of her dress is all wet from her hair but she doesn't care. She would give anything to live in this moment forever.

Luke and Leia, peacefully sleeping in front of her. Safe, happy, alive. And if Anakin were here, then everything would be perfect.

* * *

"Padme..."

Padme turns in the darkness, brown eyes searching for the soft whisper. Like she should be able to see the words floating through the darkness. But she can't figure out where it's coming from. That voice... it's familiar.

"Padme..."

Padme spins around wildly. "Ani? Anakin?" Yes, she knew that voice! That was Anakin's voice! "Anakin! Where are you? Anakin! I... I can't see you! Where are you?" She keeps spinning around, furiously searching with her eyes, feeling desperation crawling into her chest from her stomach. He's out there, he's alive! She just... she can't see him.

"Padme..."

Running through the darkness, the young ex-senator tries desperately to find her husband. There isn't even a shift in the darkness to alert her where she's going or if she is even moving at all. It's not easily, like she has weights on her feet trying to hold her in place, but she's not going to let that stop her. If Anakin is out here somewhere, she has to find him. She has to apologize. She has to explain to him why she did wrong by him. Why he shouldn't turn to the Dark Side. WHy she is so certain that even after everything, she's certain that there is still good in him.

She just has to find him first.

Something stopped her. A sound that chilled her to the core. She didn't know how hot it was in this darkness, until it was all sucked out. This sound, she heard, it could only be the sound of her babies crying. Luke and Leia. She would be able to recognize the sound anywhere. Even in her dreams. She tends to constantly hear them in her dreams. One of the few things she can't escape from.

But there has always been a sense of relief in her when she hears it. Not because her babies are in distress, but because it's proof that they are still there with her. They need her and trust her to protect them. A piece of Anakin still lives. She can tell Luke and Leia's cries apart easily, but this is the sound of their screams intertwined with one another. It's not a hungry cry, or one that begs for a change of their diapers.

No, it's the sound of complete and utter terror. It's the worst sound in the entire world. They were completely horrified. Their screams of fear sucks all of the heat from her body and plummets her heart to her feet.

"Luke? Leia?" Padme yells, spinning around, her eyes blown wide. " _Luke? Leia?_ " The desperation fills her voice as she follows the sound of her screaming babies, heart pounding and blood roaring in her ears. "Where are you? Where are you? _Where are you?_ "

She stops, seeing their two basinets floating in the darkness in front of her. She runs over to them, hating how slowly she's moving. But she makes it over to them, looking down into the basinets to see that her babies aren't in there. The moment her eyes lock onto empty beds, the screaming stops.

The silence is worse than their screams.

"Padme..."

Padme spins around to see a cloaked figure standing a few feet away from her, black hood stands out against the darkness and covers their face. The person hovers over top of her, impossibly tall. Padme is about average height for a human female, but she has never felt smaller before this person. She recognizes the height, but not the feeling of dread that comes with it.

Beneath the hood, all Padme can see is disgusting sulfuric red eyes, burning with rage and hatred. She knows this person. She knows who this person used to be. This was the man that she used to love. His body - his blood - makes up half of her children's genetics. But on his face and in his eyes, she doesn't recognize him. It's not the look of the man she loved.

"Ana-" Padme starts but feels her throat squeezes shut completely, stopping her from being able to continue. Only a small squeak escapes her. Her hands fly up to her throat, flawing at the smooth, tanned skin. She can't find the source of the constricting feeling. She's been here before. She recognizes this feeling. Painfully well.

The dark figure moves closer, his height increasing monstrously, threateningly. She feels dread and fear wash over her as she starts to lose the ability to focus without being able to breath.

"It's Darth Vader."

Padme gasps loudly, shooting up in her bed, her body covered in a cold sweat, fully aware now of the screams of her children in the basinets next to her. It's horrified, scared crying. Padme quickly throws the covers off of her, nearly tripping over the tangled mess around her feet in her effort to get to her babies. She grabs them up, cradling both of them to her chest and falling back into her bed, dark eyes flickering around the room, trying to find the source of their screaming.

The door opens and Dorme comes running in, Obi-Wan just a foot behind her, blue eyes flying around the room before settling on Padme.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Dorme asks, rushing to her side and sitting on the bed. "What's wrong with the babies?"

"They were just screaming," Padme mumbles, her voice trembling. Their screams have calmed down, but it still shook her to the core. She's never heard them scream like that. But she couldn't see anything in the room. What scared them so? "I don't know what happened. I don't see anyone in here."

Obi-Wan's shoulders lower a bit, looking around the room from where he stands in front of her bed, probably sensing out the area, before looking over at Padme and walking to the side of the bed between the basinets and reaches out to put a hand on Leia's head, gently.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Obi-Wan asks, looking at Padme. The moonlight casting a dark shadow over half of his face, but makes his blue eyes stand out.

"How did you know?" Padme mumbles.

"The twins are extremely Force sensitive," Obi-Wan says softly. "They must have felt your panic and your fear and must have thought that you were in danger."

Padme cradles the whimpering babies closer to her chest, nuzzling into the top of their heads, listening to them sniffle as they quiet down. She may be their first and last line of defense, but they will always be her savior. She loves them so much. They are the reason that she keeps on fighting. They may be only a few months old, but they are far stronger than she could ever hope to be.

"It's alright," Obi-Wan murmurs, pulling his hand back. "Now that you are settling down, they are too."

"Are you alright?" Dorme asks, creases forming between her eyes.

"Yes," Padme mumbles, hugging Luke and Leia as tightly to her as she dared without hurting them. "I'm okay. This isn't the first nightmare I've had since..." she trails off. Ninety percent of the nights while she was pregnant with Luke and Leia were of nightmares of Anakin dying in battle or for some other reason and never returning to her. Now it's been about losing him to the Dark Side.

Which is the same as dying, she supposes. Anakin is good, and still burns inside of Vader's chest, but she doesn't know if she will ever be able to see that beautiful glow again.

"Do you want me to stay?" Dorme asks, studying her face closely.

"No." Padme shakes her head. "Go to bed, everyone." Her eyes flicker up toward the door, seeing one of the guards peaking in to make sure everything is alright. "I'm fine."

Dorme seems reluctant, but agrees. Obi-Wan nods his head a bit before turning to leave, letting Dorme close the door behind him. Padme sits in the darkness of her room holding her babies, trying to purge the image of that monster wearing her husband's flesh from her mind. That thing isn't her husband. That thing isn't Anakin.

* * *

"What?"

Obi-Wan crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorway, sighing. He doesn't seem too happy about it, but the decision seems to have been made. Yoda, sitting on the couch, looks completely exhausted and a hundred years older than he did four months ago, when they first moved into their shared home. Much of his time has been given to his thoughts - reflection of the past, how everything ultimately lead up to this moment - and trying to find some place safe for the Jedi to go. At least, those that remain.

"Only thing to do now, this is. Empire controlled space is not safe. Go into hiding, all Jedi must. Survival _must_ be what we focus on, I fear," Yoda says. He intertwines his fingers on his lap, sighing. Deep creases getting deeper between his eyes as he stares at Padme.

"Where will they go?" Padme asks.

"Wherever they can," Obi-Wan says, his voice is soft and broken. He's lost much of the fight in him. Padme can see it. He's growing tired and weary as the days go on. The light in his eyes has faded significantly. There is still something in there. A bit of Obi-Wan's magnificent fire that still burns brightly, he's just weighed down heavily by the loss of Anakin, the Republic and the Jedi.

Yoda must notice it too.

"It's been months and that is all that you have come up with?" Padme asks. She didn't mean to sound judgmental about all of their clear hard work, but she couldn't believe that "hiding" was the only option that they had. She wants to believe that the powerful, wise minds of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda would have been able to come up with something more that that. That was something that she would have been able to come up with. Surely those two, with their brilliant minds, would be able to come up with something better.

"Unfortunately," Yoda says spitefully, the crease deepening, "all we have, that is."

Immediately ashamed, Padme looks away. "I am sorry, Master Yoda. I didn't mean to be disrespectful or unsympathetic to the plight of the Jedi. I just thought that there was something more that could be done."

Yoda sighs again, for the hundredth time in the past few minutes, the anger fading away. Along with the fight in him. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda are tired and weary of the fight. And the worst is yet to come.

"I think we all wish that there was something more that could be done," Obi-Wan murmurs, pushing off of the wall and walking over to the couch, lowering to it slowly and with conditioned grace. It's hard to really shed the proper poise that he has spent many years perfecting. He slumps back into the couch, looking so tired even though he's trying to hide it.

Typho stands in the opposite doorway, arms crossed over his chest and legs spread wide. His eyebrows are pulled together tightly in thought. Slowly, he asks, "What of Lady Padme and her children? Where does this leave us?"

Silence.

"Unfortunately," Obi-Wan answers slowly after almost an entire minute of silence from Yoda, who is looking down at the carpet without any particular interest, "we haven't really moved from the place we are at. Figuratively speaking." He looks around the room before waving his hand around dismissively. "And I suppose literally."

More silence.

Yoda reaches up and rubs his forehead, shaking his head a little bit as if to clear his thoughts. He sighs once more before looking up at the three other people in the room. "Hide in plain sight, we must."

Everyone turns to look at him.

"What does that mean?" Typho asks, not sounding convinced by that alone, his one eye flickering between Obi-Wan and Yoda, hoping one of them will elaborate.

"Palpatine has condemned himself to Coruscant for now, surrounded by his loyal followers," Obi-Wan says, rubbing at his own forehead. "Why, though? I do not know. He must be planning something, but as to the what, I don't know that either. I shudder to imagine, regardless." He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his hands dangling between his legs and heavy creases between his eyes. His eyes flickering back and forth on the carpet, his mind is racing, trying to understand this new puzzle.

Alarmed, Padme asks, "Do you think he's going to send Vader here?" Her entire body tenses up.

"Doubtful," Obi-Wan says, shaking his head. "Vader wouldn't want to come here regardless."

Padme settles down a bit, feeling her tense body start to relax as the muscles loosen. That's right, they talked about this. Palpatine, nor Vader, have any reason to come to Naboo ever again. Still, she has nightmares, endlessly, of the moment that Obi-Wan is proven wrong and Darth Vader and Chancellor - excuse her, _Emperor_ Palpatine - darken her doorstep.

Four months is a long time watching the galaxy twist and turn upside down. News of the "death" of Anakin Skywalker spread like wild fire. He died trying to stop the Jedi Masters from killing Palpatine. He died for the Republic, a hero. His successor is none other than Darth Vader, who "took up the Hero without Fear's duty to be the protector of the Republic-turned-Empire". Padme's heart is shattered at the thought that people believe that _thing_ to be Anakin's legacy. It sickens her to no end.

"Right," Padme mumbles, leaning back into her seat, her racing heart starting to slow down. "So, how do we hide in plain sight?" She looks over at Yoda, who was the one to offer the suggestion.

Yoda turns forest green eyes toward her. "Time, Senator, will reveal the way."

* * *

"My friend," Apailana says, walking over to her. "Thank you for meeting with me."

Padme takes her hands and offers a little bow before they turn toward the garden in the back of the castle. They start walking through the hedges in silence. It's been half a year since Padme awoke from the dead. She's gotten better at living in the shadows. She has been working hard alongside Apailana to keep Naboo under the radar but flourishing as it always has been.

Many things have changed across the galaxy, and even on Naboo, much has changed. The galaxy is being divided up into sections being controlled by a "Moff". And the elected Moff of Nubian controlled space is none other than the illustrious Quarsh Panaka. Padme spoke to him a handful of times before he was called to Coruscant for a "gathering" by the Emperor. It was there that he was officially promoted and sent on his way. He returned to Naboo in a daze, not sure how to explain to the Queen that she was technically no longer the boss of him. He as in charge of this sector of the galaxy now.

But Padme grew up with Panaka and knew that his first and main concern was the safety and protection of Naboo and the space it controls. That was what has always mattered to him. He's trying to keep Naboo safe by staying in the good graces of Palpatine and the Empire, which Padme can both except and appreciate. She is thankful to him, as well. He's putting himself, once more, into the danger zone. He stood between a handful of Queens and the dangers before them - including herself - and now he stands before the Sith and the Empire and Naboo. If it is the most dangerous place to be, that tends to be where Padme will find him.

Padme offers him her full support.

She has been working as an advisor to Apailana for months now, whispering in her ear, trying to do her part in keeping Naboo safe. She's doing her part. Apailana is young and afraid. They haven't had to deal with a change in total allegiance since they joined the Republic hundreds of years prior. Padme didn't live through it either, but she's older and is capable of offering experience that comes with two successful terms as Queen and many years on the one in front of her. Apailana is more than thankful to take any help Padme can offer and seems to really take it to heart.

Padme, Apailana, Apailana's other advisors, and Panaka are all doing what they can in order to protect Naboo and it's people. They are all on the same side. Panaka is one of the few people outside her home that knows that Padme is alive. Him and Apailana's advisors - who were all Padme's during her reign - are the only ones outside her household that know. Apailana is the only one who knows about Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Obi-Wan and Yoda made sure that they vanished from the memories of others.

"It's not a problem," Padme says, keeping her hood pulled down low to hide most of her face. It's much like the handmaiden garbs that she wore during the invasion of Naboo during her reign, except these are a powder blue color. "Is there something that you needed, my Queen?"

"I have been thinking a lot about the future," Apailana says slowly, keeping her voice low, waving away her guards, that make to follow her and Padme. They walk slowly.

"Yes..?" Padme says slowly, when Apailana didn't immediately continue. She offers a half glance at the younger girl who isn't all that much shorter than Padme.

"I've been thinking about the safety of Naboo," Apailana murmurs, turning her eyes toward the pretty foliage around them, probably having seen it over a hundred times, but is looking at them as if for the first time, like it's the most interesting thing in the world. She seems uncomfortable about something, which immediately puts Padme on edge.

Typhon and one other guard is here with Padme, hanging back with Apailana's guards, while the rest and Padme's handmaidens remained back at the house with her children and the two ex-Jedi.

"What are you thinking about?" Padme asks tentatively.

"Before I tell you what I'm thinking," Apailana says slowly, turning slowly to Padme. "I was wondering if you would invite me over so that I may speak with Master Yoda about something."

Padme blinks in surprise, curiosity biting at her toes. "You are always welcome in our home, my lady, but why would you need to speak with Master Yoda?"

Apailana looks away, starting to walk once more. "I've been thinking about how to go about protecting Naboo, and I might have come up with something that would definitely help, but I spoke with Master Yoda shortly after you awoke in your tomb, he said something interesting to me that I can't help but think about. I wanted to speak to him more about it, but I don't want to risk his safety by asking him to come here or to just show up to your home unannounced."

More curious than ever but trying to fight the urge to probe the younger girl about it, Padme instead offers, "Whenever you are free next, my lady, we will be more than willing to have you come over. I'm sure Master Yoda will be able to clear up any of your thoughts. And know that you are always welcome to our home, my Queen. We appreciate all that you have done for us."

Apailana smiles thinly, looking true to her title as the "Sad Queen" without looking at Padme. "Thank you, my friend. I will let you know when I am free. Thank you for all that you have done thus far and thank you for coming all the way out here to speak to me."

"You have done so much for me," Padme says, "it's the least I can do."

"Thank you," Apailana murmurs, looking over at Padme from the corner of her eye. "Everything will be made clear in time, but I first need to confirm something with Master Yoda before I open my thoughts to reality. Please be patient until then."

"Of course, my Queen," Padme says, bowing her head, curiosity eating her alive.


End file.
